Sabrina Michals found herself out of money after backpacking through Europe so she stowed away on a Eurorail train to meet her model friend in Milan. A daughter of salon owners who vowed never to enter the biz, she used her salon skills to help her friend spruce up for her test shoots and discovered the editorial side of hairdressing. That experience sparked a love affair with the medium that has led to her quietly illustrious twenty-five year career with Bumble and bumble most currently as their Director of Styling Education.
Each week she not only teaches class at Bumble and bumble University (where many a college student has gotten his or her first razor cut) but also hosts a tough backstage masterclass for the company’s hairdressing apprentices, a structured hybrid of stringent fundamentals and creative exercises that has helped churn out some of the hairdressing industry’s most promising young talent. The weekly four hour class requires students to acquire a model, bring in a reference photo and attempt to recreate the reference look. They’ll spend two weeks or more breaking down one look under Sabrina’s meticulous eye. She also oversees the company’s Fashion Week “test out” which tracks the progress of those hairdressers hoping to assist Bumble’s prestigious Editorial Stylists during New York Fashion Week. She is a pivotal part of what keeps Bumble and bumble’s backstage culture alive.
Sabrina spent seven years in Paris where she worked on the teams of such hair greats as Orlando Pita and Eugene Souleiman as well as serving as a Bumble and bumble. product consultant for chic concept store Colette.
“My favorite memory as an assistant is of handing Orlando bobby pins to secure Madonna’s head piece at a JP Gaultier show. It must have been 1991 or 92.”
She’s the person to know in the City of Lights as she knows where to find the perfect Bikram Yoga class or the ideal little out of the way restaurant. (Anahi in the Marais, for perfect steak and wine.) Her home speaks to her time in Europe, a laid-back, warm Chinatown loft sprinkled with flea market finds from the Marche aux Puces de Vanves along side her two daughters’ colorful artworks.
In a trend-driven, hyper-competitive industry that can feel a little exhausting, Sabrina’s distinctive style and quiet voice is one worth highlighting.
Here are Sabrina’s ultimate Bumble and bumble. products and some of the interesting ways she uses them.
Bumble and bumble. Thickening Creme Contour: This is a super light weight finishing cream that I love to use on longer hair to add a lived-in texture
Bumble and bumble. Surf Infusion: I personally use this on my short hair all the time. It leaves a great matte finish with just enough grit.
Bumble and bumble. Semi Sumo: This finishing product isn’t too shiny and it’s really the perfect complement to short to medium styles.
Bumble and bumble City Swept Finish: This is a dream product delivering lightweight definition. It’s fantastic to lend a little unfinished finish to dry hair but I actually love to use it on damp hair. It has just the right amount of tackiness to let the hair dry just so. Just spritz and pat it into your damp hair.
Bumble and bumbleThickening Hairspray: You’ll find this in every single hairdresser’s kit. The base product for any number of styles. It delivers moderate hold. You need it.
Bumble and bumble Styling Creme: This is a Bb. classic. It’s just a fantastic gel-cream that delivers great control when used from roots to ends sans heat. But it’s so versatile and one of my favorite ways to use it is with heat to balance “density” on the head. Sometimes a person needs a bit of lift at the root along the crown and sides. If you apply this to the root and blow-dry it delivers that volume.
*Sabrina collaborates with a select few designers each Fashion Week most recently she teamed up with Aurora James of Brother Vellies where she churned out beautifully touchable individual styles to match each model. For more on our favorite hair look from that show and actually the entire Spring/Summer 2016 season check back here tomorrow.
Photography: Fumie Hoppe